COLUMBUS – The Isothermal Community College Polk Campus is offering small business classes through its Small Business Center for those seeking to start a new business in Rutherford and Polk counties.

According to Faye Bishop, director of the ICC Small Business Center, the classes are available on an as-needed basis. Bishop said the center provides counselors who can brainstorm with potential business owners free of charge in partnership with Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE.

“Every community college in North Carolina has a small business center that they are associated with whether it be on campus or off campus,” Bishop explained. “Our purpose is to assist those entrepreneurs who want to start a business and then we also work with people who are already in business. Our services are free to these individuals and what we do is offer confidential counseling and free seminars.”

The Polk Campus is offering a class on how to find customers on Thurs., Feb. 16 from 1 until 4 p.m. as part of the center’s Start-up Assistance series. On Tues., Feb. 21, an advertising seminar will be held at 6:30 p.m for those who want to start their own advertising agency.

Bishop said a survey is handed out to students of each seminar to determine which new topics to cover in future seminars. Guest speakers in the business field conduct the classes, and Bishop said these are determined by the center in partnership with SCORE.

These classes are free of charge, according to Bishop, and visitors to the Small Business Center Network website at ncsbc.net can register through the ICC Small Business Center portal. The website also provides links to state business agencies like the North Carolina Department of Revenue and the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

According to the North Carolina Small Business Center Network website, each local small business center provides potential business owners with multiple resources and offers insight on business topics ranging from market research to franchises.